Hakuoh Pirates Arc
The Hakuoh Pirates Arc is the third story arc in the Miniskirt Pirates/Mouretsu Pirates series. After the rest of her crew is quarantined, Marika is forced to turn to the Hakuoh Academy Yacht Club to crew the Bentenmaru in order to fulfill the conditions of her Letter of Marque. Summary Following a busy day at work, Marika is allowed to go home while the Bentenmaru carries out a delivery. The next day, Marika is puzzled to find that the crew aren't contacting her for the regular check-up calls. In the evening, she receives a call from Misa and learns that the Bentenmaru crew are in quarantine, due to the bio-container the ship was transporting opening and releasing its cargo of cat-monkeys, one of which was carrying an infectious disease. Speaking to Show of the Harold Lloyd Insurance Union, Marika learns that the crew are not likely to be released from isolation before the deadline for fulfilling the conditions of the Letter of Marque . After considering her options, Marika considers recruiting a substitute crew and travels to the relay station to find sailors. Having worked out that something was up, Gruier follows her and offers her help. In disguise, the two try to find recruits, without success. Eventually they are approached by a group of sailors, who after posing as potential recruits, reveal themselves to be from the Barbaroosa, led by Captain Kenjo Kurihara. Following a discussion with Kenjo and Chiaki, who had been discouraging people from signing on to avoid trouble from random people crewing the Bentenmaru, Chiaki reminds Marika of a group of people she knows and trusts who can fly a spaceship - the Hakuoh Academy Yacht Club. On learning about the situation, the yacht club gladly agree to help Marika . Using the cover of a last-minute practice cruise, the yacht club set sail on the Odette II in order to help Marika crew the Bentenmaru and carry out an act of piracy to satisfy the conditions of the Letter of Marque. After finding that Gruier and Grunhilde have stowed away with them, the yacht club set the Odette II to automatic and leave for the Bentenmaru. In hospital, the crew are alerted to the yacht club's arrival and on learning that their isolation period is to be extended, quickly realize what Marika is trying to do. Not letting Marika know they are aware of what she's up to, the crew set about composing an instruction manual to allow the yacht club to safely fly the highly customized Bentenmaru without breaking anything . Not long after the yacht club board the Bentenmaru, Maki accidentally fires a salvo from the Bentenmaru's main cannons, to the dismay of Marika and the crew. The crew continue rushing to get the manual complete as the yacht club attempt to get the Bentenmaru underway. Ultimately they are unable to get it finished before the first launch attempt fails. While the yacht club are having some snacks and thinking things over, Show delivers the manual to them, enabling them to launch the Bentenmaru successfully. The crew's relief however is short-lived as Marika decides to try an FTL jump - something they didn't put in the manual. The arrival of military ships investigating the earlier weapon discharge force them to make the jump regardless, but Marika manages to recall enough of the procedure and their approach with the engines allows them to succeed with the jump. Afterwards, Chiaki and the princesses find the hidden camera the crew were using but decide not to tell Marika . Following dinner, Marika makes sleeping arrangements for the club and sees that everyone settles down OK for the night. Lynn remains on the bridge on watch for part of the night. Grunhilde later comes to relieve her and overhears her speaking with someone. The next morning after oversleeping, Marika briefs the yacht club on their pirate job, a raid on the Princess Apricot, and explains the procedures involved. Some of the yacht club members start to have doubts in their ability to pull it off, but Marika reassures them, saying that she'll see that they make it through OK . The raid on the Princess Apricot goes ahead, with Marika leading the yacht club, who are in cosplay outfits provided by Mami. Despite a bit of awkwardness, the raid is ultimately completed successfully. Afterwards the yacht club celebrate their success, however Lynn seems troubled. Later Marika mentions Lynn's behavior to Lynn, and the princesses mention how Grunhilde had seen Lynn speaking with someone. Marika decides to ask Lynn herself and is surprised when Lynn informs them that she has a job for the Bentenmaru - to kidnap the former yacht club president, Jenny Dolittle . Lynn explains to Marika, Chiaki, Gruier and Grunhilde that Jenny is being forced into an arranged marriage against her will by her relatives (in the anime, this is mostly by Robert Dolittle, her uncle and current head of the company who sees her as a threat to his son's inheritance) and wishes to hire the Bentenmaru to pick her up from the liner she is on and take her to safety at Space University. The yacht club agree to help and despite Chiaki's concerns, Marika agrees to take the job. However before they can make their move, another craft approaches the Bentenmaru. It is revealed to be Jenny, who has been forced to make her own escape in a Silent Whisper. After taking her aboard, Marika and Jenny negotiate the terms of the job with Show (in the anime, this includes 10% of the gross profit from Jenny's company, Fairy Jane, for the next 10 years), who is being pressured by Hugh and Dolittle, who claim that Jenny had been kidnapped by the pirates and threaten to cut ties with them if she isn't returned. Show agrees to let the Bentenmaru take the job and informs the crew about the circumstances. Shortly afterwards, the Bentenmaru comes under fire from Hugh and Dolittle's private fleet and makes an FTL jump to escape . Being pursued by the Hugh and Dolittle fleet, Marika and the others discuss their options with Jenny. Hoping to find some way of getting the marriage arrangement cancelled, they decide to investigate a potential weakness of Jenny's fiancé, Junigh Coolph, who is said to hold secret parties on his personal ship. Managing to escape their pursuers, the Bentenmaru heads for Junigh's personal ship, the Glorious Coolph. On docking, Marika and the yacht club board the ship. They are able to use their discovery (a party with illegal drugs in the novels and a revolutionary rally in the anime) and additional information supplied by the Bentenmaru to force Hugh and Dolittle (in the anime, proof of Robert Dolittle's illegal dealing) to have Hugh and Dolittle call off the arrangement. Afterwards, the Bentenmaru transports Jenny to Space University and the Silent Whisper is left in the care of the yacht club once they return home . Major Events *The Bentenmaru crew is quarantined after a bio-container opens during transit, releasing its cargo of infected cat-monkeys Sailing 14. *The Hakuoh Academy Yacht Club assist Marika by filling in for the crew, carrying out a pirate raid with the Bentenmaru to fulfill the conditions of the Letter of Marque Sailing 15Sailing 16. *Jenny Dolittle seeks the Bentenmaru's help in getting out of an arranged marriage, forced on her by her relative Sailing 17Sailing 18. Differences in Adaptation Anime *Junigh Coolph is found to be heading a revolutionary rally rather than holding a party with illegal drugs Miniskirt Pirates Volume 3. *Fairy Jane and Robert Dolittle are anime-only elements. *Jenny Dolittle and her father are higher in line for control of Hugh and Dolittle Interstellar Transportation than they are in the novels. References Category:Story Arcs